yeah thats how it is for me, i need to be at 24 atleast for there to be enough bass and treble to be a little better than stock, then at 26-29 it hits pretty satisfying, and 30-32 is awesome. im totally satisfied with this system, i just want the deck not to shut off on some of my favorite songs because they have alot of bass. i thought the spare battery would help but it doesnt seem to make a difference with the deck.